Official Game Day Thread - Saskatchewan at Winnipeg September 30, 2022

[Waffler]

Even at our lowest the media here never printed anything like that. Look at me, I've got a column and can be a smart ***. That's what sells there? Just me but I much prefer to read balanced coverage.

[Jesse]

Even at our lowest the media here never printed anything like that. Look at me, I've got a column and can be a smart ***. That's what sells there? Just me but I much prefer to read balanced coverage.

We've seen plenty of negative articles along these lines.

Sometimes teams are just so bad - a mostly negative article is the balanced perspective.

[theaardvark]

Maas running an I formation short yardage play sums everything up in a nutshell...

[blue_gold_84]

We've seen plenty of negative articles along these lines.

Sometimes teams are just so bad - a mostly negative article is the balanced perspective.

This. And it's not like Vanstone is wrong with his assessment, irrespective of its harshness. The Riders were projected to be a top team in 2022 and they came out the gate looking like it. However, they're 2-8 in their last 10 games with no chance to finish better than 4th in the west. Add up the personnel issues (Marino, Williams, Marshall), on-field issues (discipline, inconsistent play, etc.) and a head coach that's all but lost the room, not to mention the fact Regina is hosting the GC, and it shouldn't come as much of a shock to see the disappointment - or even disgust - of a guy like Vanstone manifest in his coverage of the team.

[TecnoGenius]

Even at our lowest the media here never printed anything like that. Look at me, I've got a column and can be a smart ***. That's what sells there? Just me but I much prefer to read balanced coverage.

Read the Rider forums.  This author is just reflecting what they are saying.  And trying to put a funny spin on it.  They suck so bad they have nothing left to do but laugh (better than crying).

The problem isn't that SSK is bad: it's that they were supposed to be #1 or #2 in the W this year.  No one is mad EDM or OTT is crap, because they were expected to be crap.  But you can't build up expectations and then deliver crap like SSK did.  That is why they are getting pilloried.

When WPG was bad (think '13-'14) people weren't crazy upset because we were expected to be bad.

Next year SSK fans will behave differently because they will have low expectations.  See: OTT fans this year.

[GOLDMEMBER]

Does ineptitude remind you at all of the 2014 Blue Bombers  with the 7-11 record?
 We hosted the GCG that year.
Pretty crumby Defence that year.
Willy put up decent numbers.

[TecnoGenius]

On rewatch, I'm noticing Hassell49 on ST.  He was making some good plays.  He got credited with 2 ST tackles, which surprised me as I didn't notice at the game and they weren't mentioning his name on TSN.

In the 2nd Q he made a really nice lunging tackle from the side: not an easy tackle.

I make a note of this as he starts to demonstrate to us that he is a strong tackler.  And he's willing to put in the grunt work on ST: not a given for an ex-NFLer.

(And another ST tackle for my man Cadwallader who always seems to be heat-seeking for a tackle. He's going to double his '21 ST stats.)

[Blue In BC]

Hassell was mentioned on TSN. He was the player who was hit on the helmet during that punt that was challenged for no yards. Can't totally blame him for that, although can't discount that either.

I think he's been playing fairly well on ST's and his speed his been important.  He's made some plays.

[TecnoGenius]

Hassell was mentioned on TSN. He was the player who was hit on the helmet during that punt that was challenged for no yards. Can't totally blame him for that, although can't discount that either.

Ya, he was looking depressed on the sidelines after that strange event... but he shouldn't have been, because it hitting his head got us better field position than we would have had after a return even if Grant catches it normally/cleanly.  It would have been a catch-after-bounce anyhow.